


The beginning

by TfpWolfGirl



Category: Predator Original Series (1987-1990), Predators (2010), The Predator (2018)
Genre: 3 predators, Classic predator killing tequnique, Death, Predator/Prey, Traditional predator hunt, Violence, lots of blood, no Mary Sue characters, no relationships - Freeform, normal drunk college kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:20:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24274999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TfpWolfGirl/pseuds/TfpWolfGirl
Summary: A group of college kids go out for the night to drink by the lake and most don't make it back alive.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a classical Predator hunting story with no relationships besides a group of friends. There will be violence, blood, drinking, swearing, and killing so be warned if you're triggered by the classic Predator franchise killings this is NOT the story for you.

Intro

It had been a hot and dry summer in the state of Maryland. The temperatures pushing upwards of 100 degrees fahrenheit on most days. Forcing people to stay indoors and out to the bay and beaches in an attempt to beat the heat. And as the summer drew to a close and students began to return to campus for another year of college debt and cup noodles the unrelenting heat still hadn’t broken. Only the cool night air and the shelter of the nearby forest and man made lake helped you cool off. So as the fall semester began students began to take advantage of the seclusion and the lake. Using the weekends for drinking in celebration of being another week closer to graduation and another week deeper in college loans.

One group of friends was particularly excited. Last semester they had found a secluded section of the lake that they were able to hike to and no one else would be there to bother them. So to kick off the new semester they had quickly planned a last minute celebratory trip to the lake, buying food and alcohol and supplies to build a bonfire. A laid back night of swimming and enjoying being back together with friends, a break from the normal routine.

The only problem is that they aren’t alone.


	2. Bonfire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group goes off into the woods for a bonfire and some relaxation

As planned they had all met up in the cafeteria sitting amongst the other students having an early dinner. They all sat amongst each other arguing about who would be the designated driver of the night and be stuck with the fondly named, Bitch Cup, while everyone else enjoyed the stash they had bought earlier that day after Amber and Matt had gotten out of class. The answer to their argument appeared before them as Hannah came running to the table. Dropping her back pack and peeling the sweat drenched Camo ROTC jacket off her arms.

“Sorry i’m late, they had us running drills all afternoon.” She said taking a french fry off of Chase’s plate.

“You’re just in time my dude” Chase said sliding the plate of leftover fries closer to her. “We just finished voting on who gets the Bitch Cup tonight.”

Hannah’s head whipped up away from her fries before she groaned already knowing the answer. 

“I think we should bring the bean bags this time” Kimmy said “Last time we did this I was cleaning sand out of my pants the entire weekend.

“No! I don’t want to carry a Bean bag through the woods.” Matt whined 

“Boy, What? You don’t even have a bean bag. What are you whining for?” Mary asked

“Dude, it’s not that big of a deal.” Chase said picking at the plate of fries.

“Lets just play it by ear and see what we’re feeling when we get out there” Amber said “Let’s just move on to more important things about tonight.”

“Like S’mores! Hannah you get everything?” Monica asked

“Hell ya I did!” She said with joy and excitement, it had been too long for her liking since her last real fire cooked s’more. The microwave was just never the same. “I just gotta get it out of my dorm real quick and change then I’m ready to go.”

“Awesome we can all meet you at your dorm” Mary said standing up and stretching. “Come on Lacy” she said as a labradoodle came out from under the table. Shaking her service dog in training vest back into position before trotting after Mary. Everyone else split up to go get the supplies for tonight.

Mary honked the horn of her old red pick up truck as she parked outside of Hannah’s dorm building. The AC went on full blast as they waited and Hannah came running out with her backpack and partially deflated bean bag. Tossing both into the truck bed that was stuffed with bean bags, booze, and now s’mores ingredients. Before walking up to the drivers seat and jumping in. Mary scooting over into the middle front seat squeezing in, since the truck didn’t have a center council. 

They blasted music the entire way there with the windows down as Hannah turned off the main road and drove down an old unkept gravel road that they had never seen anyone but themselves use before. She pulled off to the side of it just in case though as everyone began to unload from the truck. Chase climbing into the back to hand down everyone’s backpacks and bean bags. 

As they began to walk into the woods they spotted what used to be the shore of the lake. It was now a dried up mud bed. Cracked like the dried earth of the desert where silt had built up in the shallow flat bottom before losing all traces of moisture. The water which normally covered the shallows had receded far back from it’s usual shore line leaving a flat open area that was full of animal tracks. Some larger and deeper one’s caught Lacy’s attention as she walked out onto the mud flat sniffing the ground before her hackles went up and she came running back to the group. Finding it odd chase went out to have a look but it was too obscured by deer tracks to really make it out. The group simply assumed it had been an old bear track and shrugged it off.

They continued to hike a well worn game game trail that followed what used to be the shore line. Not trusting the dried mud since matt had gotten himself stuck in it last semester thinking it had been okay to walk on at the beginning of the drought. Eventually they found the large fallen tree that marked where they turned to make their way to the new shore line. This side of the lake was a mix of rocks and sand that had less of a suction effect on your boots if you got stuck in it. The lack of underbrush made the hike easy going as they made their way down the hill side, even while carrying their bean bags it was a pretty easy trip.

Their spot was a large relatively flat stretch of sand between the shoreline and forested hillside. Next to a small bend on the shore where a steam ran down the hill and into the crystal clear man made lake. And after dropping everything into the sand they got to work setting up a bonfire.

“Kimmy and Monica you guys are in charge of digging the shallow hole for the fire to sit in, Amber and I can gather the kindling, Mary can you gather rocks to outline the fire pit?” Hannah asked

“You got it,” Mary said, giving Hannah a mock salute before walking off to find larger rocks, Lacy following after her sniffing everything in her path.

“Matt and I will get the wood.” Chase said, pulling a small axe out of his backpack and walking over to the dense tree line. Matt gathered dead branches as they went.

They quickly had the fire going as the sun began to fall over the horizon line. Coloring the water in brilliant shades of orange and pink, almost gilding the white puffy clouds in a golden hue reflected off the water. It was beautiful and relaxing as cicadas began to buzz in the forest behind them. Lacy turned her head to look at the tree every so often as one called out. 

The group ignored the dog as it whimpered and simply put it on a leash, suspecting that it saw a deer off in the woods. As they began to pass out plastic cups and the large water bottle filled with vodka and cheap fruit punch from the school cafeteria. When Hannah reached for her cup Kimmy placed a Caprisun pouch in it and quickly scribbled Bitch Cup on it with a sharpie. Everyone began to laugh as Hannah groaned again before stabbing it with the straw and drinking it. No need to waste a perfectly good Capri Sun pouch.

“You guys hear the gossip going around campus these last two weeks?” Hannah asked from her bean bag.

“Which gossip? The senior who got pregnant with a freshman’s kid?” Amber asked trying to narrow down a campus full of rumors.

“No the one where 3 different people from campus have gone missing.” Hannah specified

“Ya I heard of that, everyone’s saying they all got drunk and then were kidnapped” Kimmy said from behind her drink.

“It just sucks that there’s police all over campus now.” Monica said

“Ya no one can party or drink on the weekends anymore or smoke or do anything on campus anymore. And like half the frats have been called in for questioning.” Kimmy said

“I know this sounds bad but if they were kidnapped they’re probably dead by now.” Mary said, voicing her opinion as she pulled a marshmallow off her stick and began to eat her s’more. Hannah nodded in agreement with her, she had seen enough Identification Discovery Channel to know how this stuff normally turned out.

“What do you think happened? Like really happened. Cause the football quarterback, his girlfriend and his bestie don’t just like, up and disappear after a party with no one knowing what happened.” Monica asked putting a S’more together.

“Who knows.” Chase said taking out a small pipe and filling it with marijuana before lighting it up. Taking a deep drag and blowing out the lazy wisps of smoke. “Anyone else wanna try?”

“I’m good S’mores and weed aftertaste really don’t mix” Hannah said, chase just gave her a confused look before shrugging it off and passing it over to Amber.

“That’s just because you don’t smoke” Amber said taking a hit before passing it along

Matt followed Hannah’s lead and passed the pipe along without taking a hit. He tossed another log into the fire. Watching as embers flew up into the air like fireflies. He promptly got up and announced “I’m going to go pee” before walking off into the woods.

“This time go further away from the camp” Kimmy shouted at his back as he walked off into the woods up the hill. His flashlight lit the way as he disappeared from view.


	3. Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt Looked up and now everyone's screwed.  
> First character death.

Matt walked till he was far enough up the hill that he could barely hear everyone talking on the beach below, before ducking behind a large tree that was hidden enough by the underbrush so no one would accidentally walk up on him. He stuck his flashlight in his mouth and focused on peeing.

It was quiet except for the sound of laughter every now and again from the group below and the sound of buzzing insects that Matt really hoped wouldn’t land on him while he was peeing and couldn’t swat it away. One group in particular seemed intent on landing on his face though as Matt tightened his lips around the flashlight trying to keep them out of his mouth as he quickly finished up.

As he finished up a drop of water fell on his face from the tree above. A large fly that seemed way too determined for Matt’s liking quickly flew after the offending liquid and tried to land on his forehead next to the droplet. With a quick clap of his hands Matt got the offending insect before it could land on him. Finally fed up with the bugs trying to land on his face.

“Got it” he mumbled in triumph around the flashlight, before wiping off his hands and forehead on his light blue shirt.

As he pulled it away and looked at the stain though he was confused. It was a deep red. Too dark and too sticky to have come from just the bug. As he looked at the stain in confusion another few drops landed on his shoulder and the back of his neck. He placed his hand on the back of his neck and pulled his hand away. Seeing it was coated in a thin layer of blood. The red filling the creases of his palm as he took the flashlight out of his mouth and slowly turned to look up into the tree.

Something he immediately regretted.

It was a horror scene. Three bodies were strung up from the overhead tree branches. All upside down like they were diving into a swimming pool. All three had been tripped of their skin, the exposed red muscles infested by maggots and buzzing insects, growing fat on a steady diet of human flesh. The one dangling above Matt was looking down on him with milky dead eyes set in a skinless face.

Matt had found the three missing students. He began to slowly back away down the hill, eyes glued to the three corpses like they would suddenly try to reach out and grab him. Their limp arms handing out like an offer to join them in their deadly rotting embrace. 

He was broken from his trance when he tripped on a log and fell backwards onto his butt and into an old stale puddle of drying blood. He frantically flipped over leaving his flashlight behind as he ran down the hill quite literally screaming bloody murder.

Everyone looked up the hill at the sound of Matt screaming and saw his flashlight go out. Relaxing for a second thinking he was just screaming about being in the woods in the dark. Everyone stood up though when he came crashing out of the woods and ran straight into Lacy, tripping over her leash before frantically regaining his footing. 

“Whoa Matt your fly is down” Chase laughed from his bean bag. Seeing the blood stains everyone got a little more worried and got up to help him.

“Matt what happened? Why are you all bloody?” Kimmy asked.

“What did you do to yourself this time?” Hannah asked knowing Matt was prone to over exaggeration and being very dramatic  
“Oooh Matt’s in trouble” Chase said giving Matt a small shove

“NO! It’s not my blood! Mary was right! The three people who went missing! Their bodies are hung up in the woods!” Matt said frantically “We all need to leave, NOW!”

“No we need to call the police!” Monica yelled

“We can’t call the police, we have weed and alcohol” Amber said

As everyone argued and tried to figure out their next move, Chase seemed distracted. Staring out intently into the woods. Taking a second to rub his eyes a few times and squint into the woods trying to get a better look at something. “Guys” he eventually spoke up. “Guys!” he shouted, drawing everyone’s attention.

“What Chase!” Matt said frantically as he put out the fire and got everyone’s stuff together to leave.

“I think, either that weed had some good shit mixed in it, or, are you guys seeing that thing too?” He said as Matt handed him his bug spray.

The sun still had a few minutes before fully setting and the brief sliver of light left let them see a few feet into the woods. As they all turned to look in the direction Chase was looking at. That’s when they all saw it.

The thing was huge and looked like Invader Zim and bigfoot had a muscle builder baby. It stood like a seven foot tall wall of muscle, with a metal mask and long black dreadlocks. What they assumed was skin looked like a tan color and extremely reptilian. But the most frightening was the array of skulls that adorned it’s body like he had raided the Biology department. Some of which were human and still had stains from where it had been recently cleaned and added to the collection. 

No one moved. They all looked like a herd of deer caught in the headlights. Then like a shimmering mirage it disappeared like a ripple on water. It’s eyes remained for a moment longer. Visibly glowing an eerily dirty yellow color, like mustard gas. Before blinking into invisibility. It gave Hannah the same feeling she got when she was trying to kill a bug and then found out it flew.

“Oh, that’s not good” Hannah said as she grabbed her large pocket knife, Kimmy following her lead and taking the safety off of her pepper spray she had on her lanyard.

No one moved or made a sound. It was completely silent, even the cicadas had stopped buzzing. The sound of a thud came from further down the shoreline, sand being thrown up in the air where something heavy had landed hard on the loose ground. A beam of red light grazed across Mary’s arm. She let loose a scream of panic and fear before yelling “RUN!” 

The small group took off back up the shore line the way they had come down Matt stumbled to keep up as Hannah grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him along as his body caught up with his brain and he began to run on his own. Unknowingly leaving Kimmy behind.

She couldn’t see them, only the soft imprints in the sand in the light of a rising full moon. But through some ancient primordial instinct she could feel the eyes on her back and knew she was surrounded. Desperate times called for desperate measures and with the option of flight gone all her adrenaline was fueled into the only other option, to fight back and try to defend herself. She took out her small swiss army knife and held it like her life line, the pepper spray still hanging around her neck.

The sight of a branch suddenly breaking in half revealed the presence of one of the creatures as she lunged at it burying the small knife in what felt like something solid. Before she could savor her victory a huge force hit her in the side smacking her to the ground as she gasped and rolled over trying to regain her breath as the floating knife and small neon green line came closer to her before the knife was tossed at her feet by an invisible hand. What she assumed was neon green blood leaking out.

She had no time to focus on the blood as she was suddenly lifted up by what felt like a hand around her neck. In panic she wildly sprayed the pepper spray all over the thing holding her up while trying to support herself with her other hand. The creature growled in pain and fury as the spray leaked into it’s open wound. 

She gagged and dropped the spray as it tightened its grip in anger. And the sound of knives being pulled from a sheath drew her fading attention as two curved blades were plunged under her chest and used to lift her higher into the air as if she weighed nothing. Before flinging her lifeless body into the circle of bean bags and roaring in triumph. As a mixture of Mary’s blood and pepper spray stained it’s invisible body and revealed it to the world. As two others materialized out of thin air along with it.


	4. Lambs to the slaughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary has to find Lacy before it's too late.

The group stopped when they heard Kimmy scream dread filling the pits of their stomachs as they turned around from the top of the hill in time to see their friend murdered. And her limp body being tossed around like a rag doll. If that wasn’t enough to fill them with remorse and dread the sight of not just one but three monsters materializing was more than enough to let them know they were all royally fucked.

The biggest one, the murderer was about a foot taller than the other two. While it was almost beige in color the others had red markings all along their exposed skin that reminded Hannah of the stripes on a lion fish she had seen in her biology class room.

Matt screamed in grief and anger after he got over the shock that Kimmy was dead and never going to get up. All the beasts turned and looked in their direction as Hannah put her hand over his mouth and pulled him down to look her in the eyes.

“Shut Up!” she hissed at him “Those things, those creatures, are NOT friendly and are obviously not here to make peace with humanity. If we want to live to get help and stop these things we need to leave, Now! Before they come after all of us, then we can mourn Kimmy. Got it!” Hannah said

Matt nodded his head solemnly as Hannah removed her hand. And they all began to quickly run back to the car. Mary suddenly stopped in everyone’s path “Where’s Lacy” she said looking around frantically.

“She’s probably just further ahead of us at the truck.” Amber said

“No I need to find her!” Mary said as she dug her car keys out of her pocket and tossed them to Hannah “Here take the keys and we’ll meet you back at the truck.” she said before turning around to begin looking for Lacy.

“Wait, I'll go with you,” Chase said following behind Mary.

“Stay safe” Hannah said quietly, Chase nodded in acknowledgment before heading off back down the trail.

“Come on guys we need to go” Monica said, looking on the verge of having a complete panic attack.

Mary had broken off into a silent sprint back to the shore line leaving Chase behind to follow her path down their usual game trail. Or at least what he thought was their usual game trail. When he reached the edge of the forest he finally noticed that Mary wasn’t anywhere in sight and stopped as he tried to look around. Beginning to regret the weed he had smoked earlier. “Mary? Yo you around here?” he whispered into the moon lit darkness.

He didn’t get an answer, only silence and the buzzing of what he thought was a cicada. But this one sounded different from the others he had heard all night. Instead of a buzz it was more like a low pitched fast clicking. Different from a cicada as it echoed around the dark forest. Nervous Chase pulled out his lighter and began to flick it on and off. Still clutching the bug spray Matt had handed to him earlier.

He watched as a small triangle of red dots from a laser pointer suddenly appeared on the tree next to him. He blinked his eyes as he watched them descend the tree’s trunk coming closer to him. In confusion at who would have laser pointers all the way out here he turned his head to find out who was fooling around with him but only saw what looked like a ripple in the air.

Realization slowly dawned on him as his brain began to connect the air rippling to the monsters from earlier. He watched in fear as the ripple looked like it was moving closer and in a moment of panic he held up his lighter and prayed to whoever was listening that this worked. He held the bug spray up to the lighter after shaking the can. And released a torrent of flame in the direction of the rippling air on the shoreline. Building a makeshift flamethrower and hoping that the monster didn’t like fire as much as every other living thing on the planet.

The air filled with a cry of pain and Chase advanced on it, flamethrower still in hand as he ran towards the rippling air, the water gently lapping at the lakes shore in contrast to the violence just beyond.

The predator was overcome with anger and without needing to aim at the closer target fired it’s gun from close range. Never worrying that there may have been a chance of it missing it’s target. Chase’s death was immediate and the sound of the weapon firing echoed through the still night air of the forest. Alerting the rest of the group and Mary to their newest loss.

Mary was utterly alone now as she walked out of the forest and onto the paved road. As far from the shore and the sound of the blast as she could get, following the paw prints in the dirty. Chase had been the closest one to her in case she needed help and now he was gone. She continued on in her search with a newfound need to be as silent as possible. Using the edge of the pavement to avoid any crunchy leaves or loose branches. Quietly she began calling out Lacy’s name into the moonlit darkness. 

Then she heard it. A whimper, then a bark. Mary called out louder for Lacy “Lacy, here girl!” She shouted out trying to call her dog back to her. Loud frantic whimpering began after she called, the sound of a dog in pain and Mary couldn’t help it anymore. “Lacy!” she screamed as she ran full sprint towards the top of the hill on the road and the sound of her dog. Ignoring any attempt at being silent as the sound intensified. Running at a full sprint when suddenly; out of seemingly nowhere a net made out of thin wire like material flew into Mary’s side pinning her to a cliff side. 

She struggled in pain reaching towards her Taser in her back pocket her only means of defense, as it began to cut into her skin. Then as if out of nowhere it appeared like a ghost. The sound of the dog whimpering in pain becoming more metallic and distorted before completely cutting off. The realization hit Mary like the net had. It had been a trap. The sound, maybe even the paw prints, had been bait to lure her to her death and she had come willingly.

Seeing her pull out the taser the predator extended its dual wrist blades in a show of power. As the net began to slowly constrict around her. It began to draw blood as she struggled to get herself free as the material cut into her skin. The pain made her drop the taser on accident leaving her completely helpless. She grit her teeth in pain refusing to go out without a fight for Lacy as she continued to try and free herself, cutting her hands as she pushed on the net. The predator began to approach seemingly tired of waiting for her to die and bored of watching her struggle.

The group reached the truck in silence. Hesitating coming out of the woods to the exposed gravel path and the truck that could be used as a trap. Hannah was done with having people make stupid decisions after Mary and Chase. And she forced the group to stop and duck down as they reached the edge of the woods. She had the other three sit tight while she slowly walked out of cover and inspected the truck as closely as she dared to get. The sound of shuffling under the truck made her freeze and drop into a fighting stance as she prepared to fight the monster herself. 

Matt pulled out a pocket knife and Amber held on tight to Chase’s axe while Monica held on tight to Matt’s shirt, her eyes peeking out so she could see what was happening. The shuffling was coming closer from the woods behind the truck and everyone held their position in anticipation for a fight. 

Lacy poked her head out from behind the truck and scurried over to the four familiar faces her tail tucked firmly between her legs and her ears back in fear. Everyone let out the breath they didn’t know they were holding in and began to breathe again. Relaxing for a moment before the mood turned somber as Monica dropped to her knees and hugged Lacy.


End file.
